Full-Blood Inflammatory Ratios Predict Length of Stay but Not Early Death in Romanian Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Background and Objectives : Blood-borne inflammatory ratios have been proposed as inexpensive prognostic tools across a range of diseases, but their role in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) remains uncertain. In this retrospective case-control analysis, we explored whether composite indices derived from routine haematology-namely the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and a novel CRP-Fibrinogen Index (CFI)-could enhance risk stratification beyond established cytokine measurements among Romanian adults with culture-confirmed pulmonary T. Materials and Methods : Data were drawn from 80 consecutive TB in-patients and 50 community controls. Full blood counts, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and four multiplex cytokines were extracted from electronic records, and composite indices were calculated according to standard formulas. The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality within 90 days and length of stay (LOS). Results : Among TB patients, the median NLR was 3.70 (IQR 2.54-6.14), PLR was 200 (140-277) and SII was 1.36 × 10 6 µL -1 (0.74-2.34 × 10 6 ), compared with 1.8 (1.4-2.3), 117 (95-140) and 0.46 × 10 6 µL -1 (0.30-0.60 × 10 6 ) in controls. Those with SII above the cohort median exhibited more pronounced acute-phase responses (median CRP 96 vs. 12 mg L -1 ; fibrinogen 578 vs. 458 mg dL -1 ), yet median LOS remained virtually identical (29 vs. 28 days) and early mortality was low in both groups (8% vs. 2%). The CFI showed no clear gradient in hospital stay across its quartiles, and composite ratios-while tightly inter-correlated-demonstrated only minimal association with cytokine levels and LOS. Conclusions : Composite cell-count indices were markedly elevated but did not predict early death or prolonged admission. In low-event European cohorts, their chief value may lie in serving as cost-free gatekeepers, flagging those who should proceed to more advanced cytokine or genomic testing. Although routine reporting of NLR and SII may support low-cost surveillance, validation in larger, multicentre cohorts with serial sampling is needed before these indices can be integrated into clinical decision-making.